Happy New Year with Zampone !At that time the troops of Pope Julius II Della Rovere besiege Mirandola, near Modena. At the end of the siege the Mirandola were starving.The right idea came to one of the cooks of Pico della Mirandola, infact he suggest to kill pigs and put their meat in a “case” made with the skin of their legs. So they could conserve it and cook later. That is the way that Zampone born. It's strange shape and it's great taste are the reason of it's fortune until today.Zampone is the classic dish of the New Year's Eve. This link between Zampone, Christmas and New Year was born as a result of the rural tradition of sacrificing the pig from the day of Saint Lucia (December 13). Zampone has always been considered a particularly fine product and it was reserved just for the holidays, accompanied by lentils!An ancient tradition tell that lentils bring fortune and prosperity because they seems coins and also because it was a good food for poor people instead of meat!So for the HAPPY NEW YEAR DAY eat lots of lentils and they bring you fortune!